Post by driver on Mar 26, 2008 17:47:16 GMT -6
My impression from M&T and Chainmail is that kobolds-goblins-orcs-hobgoblins, along with Supp. I's "jack-o'-bear"-style bugbears, form an initial "goblin axis" that was only later broken up, possibly because of the submitted art in the 1e Monster Manual.
In my upcoming 3LB campaign, that's how I'm handling the goblin races. Kobolds are malicious little imps; goblins are the rank-and-file; and hobgoblins are hulking, dead-hard bastards, loping around on God's clean earth in full daylight like they own the place. (I'm also cherry-picking the creepy pumpkin-headed bugbear from Supp. I, both because I'm a RuneQuest fan and because it's plain awesome.)
That brings me to orcs. There's no real description of what orcs are like, physically, other than that they hate the light like goblins. However, there's more about orc society than any of the other ostensible goblin-races.
They gather in tribes, all of which are territorial and hate each other.
They're apparently "under command" of more powerful monsters at least occasionally, although even such duress is often insufficient to make them behave.
They lead wagon-trains full of gold to and from parts unknown.
They live in well-defended caves or villages.
They've at least got the technical acumen to build primitive fortifications.
They ally themselves with (or fall under command of?) with other creatures, including dragons, ogres, and trolls.
Now, this last part is what has me wondering. There's a chance that a high-level Fighting Man or Magic-User will be encountered in an orc lair or with a wagon train.
Is that character an allied human, or is it an orc? The book doesn't say one way or the other.
In the "it's a human" column is the fact that such characters are never encountered in cave complexes, only in villages or with wagon trains. Such a character would also qualify as a "stronger monster" of the sort that apparently commands orcs sometimes.
In the "it's an orc" column is the fact that it's never an EHP -- Clerical magic BTB is the unique province of humans. Also in the "orc" column is the fact that orc Lords and Necromancers would be cool, and add some depth to the race.
So, in my campaign, exceptional orcs can be high-level Fighting Men or Magic-Users. This could either be hand-waved, or there could be some sinister connection between Orc and Man ... since I don't use "ecologies" for my evil non-humans, they could be corrupted Men fused with goblin physiognomies in the same way as gnomes are cross-bred with trolls to make gnomes; or they could grow from soul-larvae implanted in vitro into goblin brood-mares, bursting out as little moray eels with snapping pig-faces until they grow up at the next new moon. Who knows?
So I guess I have two questions:
1. How, if at all, are kobolds related to goblins related to orcs in your campaign?
2. In your campaign, are the orc "leader types" human or orcish?
In my upcoming 3LB campaign, that's how I'm handling the goblin races. Kobolds are malicious little imps; goblins are the rank-and-file; and hobgoblins are hulking, dead-hard bastards, loping around on God's clean earth in full daylight like they own the place. (I'm also cherry-picking the creepy pumpkin-headed bugbear from Supp. I, both because I'm a RuneQuest fan and because it's plain awesome.)
That brings me to orcs. There's no real description of what orcs are like, physically, other than that they hate the light like goblins. However, there's more about orc society than any of the other ostensible goblin-races.
They gather in tribes, all of which are territorial and hate each other.
They're apparently "under command" of more powerful monsters at least occasionally, although even such duress is often insufficient to make them behave.
They lead wagon-trains full of gold to and from parts unknown.
They live in well-defended caves or villages.
They've at least got the technical acumen to build primitive fortifications.
They ally themselves with (or fall under command of?) with other creatures, including dragons, ogres, and trolls.
Now, this last part is what has me wondering. There's a chance that a high-level Fighting Man or Magic-User will be encountered in an orc lair or with a wagon train.
Is that character an allied human, or is it an orc? The book doesn't say one way or the other.
In the "it's a human" column is the fact that such characters are never encountered in cave complexes, only in villages or with wagon trains. Such a character would also qualify as a "stronger monster" of the sort that apparently commands orcs sometimes.
In the "it's an orc" column is the fact that it's never an EHP -- Clerical magic BTB is the unique province of humans. Also in the "orc" column is the fact that orc Lords and Necromancers would be cool, and add some depth to the race.
So, in my campaign, exceptional orcs can be high-level Fighting Men or Magic-Users. This could either be hand-waved, or there could be some sinister connection between Orc and Man ... since I don't use "ecologies" for my evil non-humans, they could be corrupted Men fused with goblin physiognomies in the same way as gnomes are cross-bred with trolls to make gnomes; or they could grow from soul-larvae implanted in vitro into goblin brood-mares, bursting out as little moray eels with snapping pig-faces until they grow up at the next new moon. Who knows?
So I guess I have two questions:
1. How, if at all, are kobolds related to goblins related to orcs in your campaign?
2. In your campaign, are the orc "leader types" human or orcish?
